Sunday, August 24, 2014

Time, Suspended

As I entered the room, bathed in silence, a
man dressed in black came and took my hand and guided me to the central
pedestal. And there we stood, quietly, breathing, eyes closed, surrounded by
others, stoic and immobile. People descended, new people were guided, hand-in-hand joined to their guides or solo, standing, waiting, stilling the mind.
A breathing human monument, a moveable Stonehenge.

Experiencing Marina Abramovic’s '512 Hours' at the Serpentine is transcendent. With an open spirit and respectful
demeanour, the entire experience becomes a meditation. In an adjoining room,
cots, scattered in no particular order welcomed participants to lie and ponder and dream
and rest. They were covered in colourful sheets by members of Abramovic’s black-clad team
of assistants. A quiet room of contemplation, a peaceful ward brightened with
pops of colour, all bathed in the to and fro of sunlight streaming in through the
windows above. I stood and watched, and breathed as, in silence, a room
full of people lay in their own meditations. On individual journeys but on
parallel paths. As a woman arose from a cot near me, she caught my eye and
invited me, silently, to take her place. The simple connection, the simple act of guidance – like the man dressed in black taking my hand – was contagious,
somehow that parallel path we were traversing together in this exhibition space came to an intersection
in a simple yet powerful way.

The final room features the most amount of
motion (which isn't really saying much). It also had an incredible cinematic quality. From the doorway you see people walking along the length of the room with very slow and painstaking care, their measured
movements slowed down, conscious of every move of every muscle that makes up
the experience of walking. The scene reminded me of those from theatrical plays
where all but one actor freezes – a tableau of a moment in time. But here, the
movement, in extreme and personal slow motion, was stunning.

A truly powerful experience, especially
for me who values introspection and meditation so much. I can only imagine this
is a preview of the Marina Abramovic Institute planned to open in upstate New York in the
coming years (designed by OMA). There is incredible potency in locking up all your time- and
communication-devices and just bathing in pure quiet, experience and connection.
Slowing down, reflecting in, connecting back ... after a few moments, you
can hear your breath, and hear your own heartbeat pulsing subtly through your body.

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About Me

Passionate about writing and reflecting on the everyday. Aesthetic, subtle, and fun. Creative, observant, nice. Searching for people with whom to be strange, sing a little and dance about...
Spot me hanging around studious and/or chill places, practicing yoga, or searching for aesthetics of taste, intoxicant, textile or intellectuals. I flit a little in photography, writing, and continually create. Whose to know what will lead my curiosity… all I know is that I am looking for roots, authenticity and substance. I’ve decided. I’m demanding more all while just going with life. It's not worth getting all tangled up, get over it.